the weekly musings of an over-educated young woman on writing, reading, and other miscellany

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Getting to "The End"

I’ve been swamped recently; hence, the blog silence last
week. Part of it is I’m gearing up for another spate of travel. Part of it is
juggling all the writing projects I have in the air, including getting to The
End on my latest WIP.

How do you define “The End” ?

-When you first figure out the end of your story?

-When you finish that first draft?

-Or when you’ve polished until you can’t polish anymore?

For me, it’s the third option. I’ve sent this novel out to
trusted readers once already. And I’m on the very last chapter in terms of
implementing the changes that were raised in that round of criticism. As I gear up to send it out to another batch of readers, I’m
feeling optimistic and impatient and a little nervous all that the same time.

And I realized I’ve felt different each time I’ve come to
the end of a novel-length project (short stories are different in my
experience).

My reactions have varied, from insecurity and nervousness (What
if it’s not good enough?) to impatience (I just want to finish this story
already) to relief and pride in a job well done. And in some cases, disappointment
that the book didn’t measure up to what was in my head and I don’t know how to
fix that.

But with this story, I’m feeling cautiously optimistic. I’ve
felt that way before of course, and to some extent, I think you need to feel
that way about all your work at this stage to stay motivated, to keep pushing
yourself, and to see things through the publishing process.

So, I’m very happy with what I’ve accomplished with the
story. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to call it a day. My work is just beginning.
I just hope I have the stomach for it.